The barrel on my Stiller Predator action .17 Remington is showing some heat cracking at the throat. I have decided to put a new barrel on this action and had 14 rounds still unfired. I had been using 30 gr. FBHP Starke bullets and wanted to shoot those rounds before I replaced the barrel. I had formed the casings from WW .204 Ruger casings down to .17 Remington. That was a lot of work, but the brass that was available for .17 Remington wasn’t of very good quality. About 6 months after I formed the brass both Nosler and Norma started to make .17 Remington brass. Anyway, I had been using 30 gr. FBHP Starke bullets and wanted to shoot those rounds before I replaced the barrel. The new barrel will be a Pac-Nor stainless steel super match grade medium Palma .172 caliber barrel with a 1 in 9" twist and 3 grooves. I will have my gunsmith finish it at 24" and thread it for my suppressors. I’ll have my gunsmith use the same reamer he used on the .17 Remington I had built for my son and grandson. I bought 500 of the .17 Remington Nosler casings for that rifle, but the two of them have only shot about 200 rounds in about 3 years so I’m appropriating at least 300 of those casings for my new build. I’m having the barrel shipped directly to my gunsmith and I’ll deliver the action and stock to him in January or early February.
So, back to the prairie dog hunt—I arrived at my parking spot south of the prairie dog colony which is up on a plateau above the creek bottom. I left the pickup at 11:26 a.m. There were lots of prairie dogs scurrying around when I parked my pickup and I could see scores more to my right as I walked toward the creek bottom. I crossed the creek and climbed up the side of the butte to get to where I could see through the sage brush and get clear shots at the prairie dogs. I nailed 5 prairie dogs with my first 5 shots—distances were 105 yards to 123 yards. I moved to the NNE and shot 3 more PDs. I moved ESE and nialed 3 more—distances for these shots were 100 to 135 yards. I only had 3 more shells left. I could see some prairie dogs back in the first area I shot at so I moved back there and nailed 3 more prairie dogs. So now my 14 shells were expended. I decided I needed to take a few photos for the record.
I dragged a couple prairie dogs over to a mound where I had shot 2 prairie dogs and snapped my photos. I began walking back to the pickup. I was experiencing balance problems so I was taking my time so I didn’t fall over and injure myself. I managed to get back to the pickup without falling. I was going to check in my pickup to see if I could find my little tripod for my camera so I could take some videos after lunch. I found the little tripod!!!!
By 2:15 p.m. the sun had disappeared behind the clouds. I planned on taking my usual nap time. After lunch I took a walk to the east to get a look at how many priairie dogs were out. There were hundreds of them. As I walked back to the pickup, I was getting dizzy and my feet didn’t seem to be able to keep up with my head and chest. I stumbled and fell one time, but managed to make it back to the pickup. I had quit taking a couple of prescription drugs and remembered that one of the side effects of those drugs was dizziness. When I got back to the pickup I decided I would skip my nap and head back home.
I got back home around 3:00 p.m. I drove back to Williston and got my hunting stuff carried into the house. I decided to walk around the block, but my head kept getting ahead of my feet and I fell forward, but broke my fall with the hands. I continued to walk down the alley north of our house. My upper body continued to get ahead of my feet and I took a hard spill. I hit my face pretty hard and look like someone beat the crap out of me. I bent the frames on my glasses, my lip was cut fairly deep, and the teeth on my left side of my jaw don’t feel so good either. I will survive, but I have to find out which prescriptions have me loopy.
Here’s the “Hero Photo” for this hunt.
I had a good time shooting prairie dogs, but when I look at myself in the mirror it looks like the prairie dogs beat the crap out of my face.
Always fun reading of your PD adventures there Silverfox, but DANG!, you look like a bunch of delinquent prairie dogs bushwacked you in an alley!
But we know that you'll get even with those little devils next time out!
Thanks for sharing the adventure.....even if it didn't go exactly as planned. By the looks of it though, you're in much better shape than those dogs that met your 204!
Semper Fortis
Rick in Oregon
NRA Life/OHA/VHA/VVA
Oregon, East of the Cascades - Where Common Sense Still Prevails
Sorry to hear about the medication adjustment. At least you are getting some good shooting in. Get better quickly and show us some dead coyote pictures soon!
